This clue appeared in the NYT Crossword on Thursday, February 19, 2026 (30 Down). The answer is hidden below until you want it. Thursday puzzles often have a trick, such as a rebus (several letters in one square) or answers that bend the rules.
How to read this clue
This is a fill-in-the-blank clue: the answer completes the phrase, title or quotation.
A clue in quotation marks is something a person might say. Look for another way of saying it, or the reply it suggests.
Answer length: 3 squares
First letter
I _ _
Show the answer
About the answer
ITO as a word: A surname from Japanese. The 6th most common surname in Japan; An organization established in 1905 to advocate for a Jewish homeland.
ITO has been an answer 7 times in the NYT Crossword and Mini since October 30, 2025.
Other clues with the same answer
More clues from this puzzle
- Is really bad, in slang (20 Down)
- Formed from molten lava (26 Down)
- Sunken treasure sites (28 Down)
- You can request a new one on religious grounds if it contains "666": Abbr. (29 Down)
- "Yeah, right!" (31 Down)
- Ruling class (32 Down)
- Fathers (33 Down)
- Dickens and Dickinson (38 Down)
Play today's NYT Crossword at The New York Times
All crossword clues · Today's NYT Crossword answers · Today's Mini answers